Foiltale
by InkedFoxtrot
Summary: AU. Asriel has been given a chance to help Chara redeem themself, saving their soul from an eternal limbo so they too can pass on. Chara must learn to have H.O.P.E instead of L.O.V.E, [FIGHT]ing Monsters' inner fears and insecurities all the while Frisk shows them [MERCY] in the physical world.
1. Prologue

This is a new Undertale AU called Foiltale, and will follow Chara and Asriel in their journey through the underground. Later chapters will be longer than this, I just wanted to set the scene a little with this intro/prologue. I haven't written fanfiction in a long time, so I'm kind of rusty, but please tell me what you think! And thank you for reading!  
\- Fox

Foiltale runs concurrently with Frisk's True Pacifist Run, but in a mirror-like realm to the original game.

 _Chara and Frisk's Pronouns_ : They/Them

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Prologue

" _Can a soul so full of hatred even be redeemed?"_

Chara awoke to find themself in the Ruins once more. Confused, they were alone and afraid as they try to remember what had happened. Suddenly, the memories all came flooding back: the "butterscotch" pie they consumed, the hellish fever that followed, a familiar voice piercing through their death throes and pleading them to "Stay determined!", a swift passing before being yanked back into life and traversing through the barrier.

 _Then, the human village…_ Their eyes darkened as they recalled the horror and anger on the villagers' faces. The humans had attacked them- attacked Chara and attacked _Asriel!_ A humorless smile started to form between rosy cheeks, their fist crushing a damnable buttercup flower beneath. "I knew it… Humans and Monsters can't get along after all."

 _Before we could say anything, they assaulted us_. Their clenched hand trembled as they remembered Asriel's consciousness, scared but unyielding, fighting against Chara's want to swing at their aggressors in retaliation. Echoes of the pain caused them to flinch, recalling the spears and fire as they penetrated and scarred their combined body. The humans had killed their brother, the kindest, most gentle creature this world had ever known.

…

… No, it was Chara that had killed their brother. In going along with their plan, Asriel met the same fate as his sibling. Chara hadn't wished for this; the human just wanted to find a way to break the barrier and set the peaceful Monsters free.

"But it seems humanity just can't help but kill everything it touches." Chara slowly got up. "I guess there's only one thing left for me to do now: kill the humans." _Including me._

" _Humans and Monsters_ can _get along!_ "

That voice…! I-it couldn't be! Asriel?!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Humans and monsters _can_ get along!"

Chara's body all but froze its ascent as they recognized the voice behind them. "Asriel?" their voice called out, shaky. Chara's mind spun in a whirlwind of questions and emotions- elation, anger, melancholy, confusion, relief. But all too abruptly, their heart settled on shame and Chara suddenly couldn't face their brother. "I…" Their throat tightened as they remembered the moments leading up to their death, remembered the fighting their combined consciousnesses had during their last moments: the anger and confusion Chara held then as they were beaten and Asriel holding them back with all their might, the searing pain they both felt as the attacks landed but still, Asriel cried out in their soul not to fight back. Then, when all was over and they were dying, the sadness they both felt in knowing that this was the end, that they spent their final moments not trying to save Monsters, but fighting like in the legends of old.

As so, Chara couldn't bear to look at their brother as they sat on the bed of flowers. They opened their mouth, but no words passed through the thick lump of emotions in their throat. After a couple attempts, they just closed it.

A few heavy moments passed between them before soft footsteps sounded, and Chara flinched when they stopped a foot behind them. Did Asriel hate them? Would he berate Chara's actions? Would their brother—

"Hey, remember when we used to play around here?" Asriel's voice was peaceful as he sat down next to his adoptive sibling.

Chara was taken aback. It took him a couple moments to register what Asriel had said. "W-what?" The human finally turned around and sure enough, Asriel was peering at him with those large, green, innocent eyes. He still looked like his eleven-year-old self, except for what looked to be cuts and dust on his green-and-yellow jumper. In addition, the end of his left ear was clipped off and looked to be dabbed in dust. _Right, one of the villager's swords lopped off part of our ear,_ Chara recalled darkly.

Asriel repeated himself, bringing Chara back to the present. "I asked if you remembered playing here. Don't tell me being dead affected your hearing; too much dirt in your ears?" Asriel lightly teased, giggling at the deadpan face Chara gave him. Instead of responding, Chara rolled their reddish-brown eyes and turned to look at their surroundings:

It was Home. Well, that's what the city was called when they were alive. Now it looked like run-down ruins and dilapidated buildings, ghosts of their former selves. A twinge of sadness filled the human as they recalled their time in the underground metropolis: playing with monster children of all shapes and sizes, laughing freely and forgetting the pain they experienced on the surface during years past. Currently, the two were on the outskirts of Home, on a balcony that overlooked the old city, their old house visible in the center of it all. Chara and Asriel would come here sometimes after playing in a nearby park and just look out. Chara would make a joke about how "everything they could see would be ruled by King Asriel" and they'd laugh as Asriel would grow flustered, stammering about how that was a long ways off.

Chara's smile fell as they remembered how that future would never come to be. "Sorry," they said suddenly to the goat next to them.

"Huh? For what?" Asriel seemed shocked at the abrupt apology.

"For what?" So many things flew through Chara's head at once that they let out an exasperated, "For everything!" The words continued to flow from their mouth. "It's my fault you're dead! If I was thinking clearly back then, I could have separated our souls so only I died, and then you would still be alive and…"

"Chara!" Asriel cut in loudly, effectively stopping his older sibling's ramblings. "It's okay, Chara. I forgive you."

"You… forgive…?" Chara could scarcely believe his own ears. After everything that had happened, Asriel still forgave them?

Asriel nodded. "I understand why you did what you did: with our plan, you were trying to free the Monsters from the Underground. And the reason you wanted to attack those humans on the surface is because you didn't want me to die. But they were scared too, Chara, and that's why they attacked us. So, in the end, even though you want my forgiveness, I think no one is really 'at fault,' and instead I should be thanking you for trying to protect me!" The monster finished with a huge grin on their face.

"No one's… at fault…" All Chara could do was echo their brother's words, dumbfounded at his kindness and forgiving nature, even in death. Chara then couldn't help but chuckle, shaking their head. Here they were, ready to accept Asriel's anger, thinking that was nothing short of what they deserved, and the goat was giving him a big, goofy grin as if they had just shared some silly joke. Chara turned back to the scenery, unable to keep the smile off their face too – Asriel's good mood was contagious. "You always were a giant softy."

"What?" Asriel scowled. "That's because you were always- wait." Asriel couldn't believe their eyes. "Are… are you _crying?_ "

Chara quickly swerved their face away from the monster's stare. "N-no I'm not!" Though they vehemently denied it, their voice had cracked halfway through.

"You totally are!" Asriel got up and tried to walk around to see.

Chara got up soon after and turned, keeping their face out of sight. "I just said I'm not! Don't say s-stupid things!" Could you blame them though? The amount of relief that washed through Chara's body was overwhelming. It was the weight of his own brother's death, the guilt his soul had felt even past death, the fear of rejection from the sibling he held dear – with their brother's forgiveness, they finally felt free.

When they finally calmed down, the fourteen-year-old turned back to Asriel, all smiles. "Thanks."

Asriel feigned innocence, grinning cheekily. "For what? Not calling you a crybaby?"

"Oh, that's it! You're gonna get it now!" The two laughed as they ran around the small area overlooking the ruins of Home. The red leaves underneath Chara crunched as they bolted from the buttercup flower patch, running up and down the balcony's length. Finally, Chara grinned wickedly as they cornered Asriel. "You're in for the noogie of a lifetime!" They pounced.

"Wait, Chara! Don't!" Asriel cried, suddenly alarmed.

Chara's outstretched arms reached for their brother's torso, but instead they fell right through and slammed into the stone barrier of the balcony. Before they could even registered what had happened, the balcony's railing gave into the heavy impact, and Chara scrambled backwards just fast enough to watch the weakened stone break off and topple down to the cityscape below. Their heart raced a mile a minute upon realizing that they too could have easily tumbled over the side with it. But, but how could that be? They were trying to grab onto their brother, but then they passed through? What?

Chara finally turned to find their brother's head hanging low, pointedly avoiding their questioning gaze. The goat's voice came out quiet and apologetic. "Um, Chara? T-there's something we need to talk about…"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So, mind telling me what's going on?"

Chara and Asriel were leaning against the stone entryway that leads to the now-broken balcony overlooking the ruins of Home. Well, Chara was leaning against it while Asriel made the appearance of doing so, being incorporeal and all. The light-hearted mood between the two had all but disappeared while the goat monster mulled over how to start.

"I'm, um, not physically here with you."

"Yeah, I got that much," Chara had all but snapped, glaring impatiently at their brother. Seeing Asriel's uncomfortable expression, the human quickly looked away and took a deep breath to calm down. "Sorry. I guess what I'm asking is: do you know why you're a ghost while I'm not? Actually, how are we even here? Didn't we _die?_ " Feeling themselves get emotional again, Chara forced themself to take another deep breath. They were never good at facing problems rationally; Asriel was the calm and collected thinker while Chara was a person of action. Their mom always said that if Chara let their instinct and emotions get the better of them, soon enough they'd eventually run into deep trouble.

The deceased human grinned sardonically. _I guess mom was right._

"I'm not actually a ghost," Asriel started to explain. "I think I'm more of a projection of my soul?"

"You think?" Chara parroted, finally turning back to their younger brother.

"I'm not exactly sure about the details, but that sounds about right." The goat prince continued. "My memory is a little hazy, but I think this is happening so we can help the other monsters, as well as help ourselves." At Chara's blank look, Asriel sighed. "This is hard to explain. Let me just start at the beginning."

"As we were about to die, I thought that was our end. My magic was depleted beyond recovery and your body was too injured to survive; we both ceased to exist. But the next thing I know, my soul and consciousness are being both awoken and separated. My consciousness -my _magic_ \- was put into a buttercup flower!" Startled, Chara was about to comment, but Asriel gave them a look that asked to continue without interruptions. Chara reluctantly acceded. "I couldn't tell you specifically, but I know a long time had passed by, and during it, all I could do was watch this flower come to life with my own magic, but without my memories. Every once in a while, time seemed to almost… reset, but flower-me kept changing up what happened. I think they somehow had control over it. And eventually... they even k-killed other m-monsters over many of these t-time resets."

Asriel's voice cracked, his body shaking with the last sentence while he looked away in shame. Chara wanted to comfort their distraught brother, but being unable to physically hug him, they could only clench their fists in anger at this… flower-Asriel. If they ever found that accursed flower, they'd…

Asriel sniffled, wiping tears from the corners of their eyes with his sleeve. He forced himself to continue – this was important! "My soul was in a limbo for a long time, long enough to watch some more humans fall to the Underground like you once did! But they all perished and the Underground _changed_. I haven't seen anyone genuinely smile in a really long time, Chara. Everyone seems so hopeless and it's like they forgotten what it means to be happy. After each 'reset,' everyone got more and more negative: some grew more depressed, others angry, some even grew suspicious of other monsters or started blaming themselves!" Asriel turned to look straight at the human, their eyes filled with sorrow. "Even you."

"What?" Chara was dead this whole time. How could they possibly feel anything?

"With every flower-reset, your soul seemed to grow darker and heavier." He explained, "You know how mom taught us that human souls are stronger than monsters'? They can even persevere after the body dies, so the Underground resets were affecting you too." Asriel frowned at the memory. "That's when I made the decision that I had to do something."

"About the flower?"

The goat prince deflated further. "No, I can't do anything against the flower, n-nor the resets. But! We can do something about the monsters and their problems!"

Chara pushed off the stone wall. "We already tried to break the barrier before. We both kind of died in the process, remember?"

"No, not the barrier. Their _inner_ problems!" Asriel was starting to look excited again.

"Do I look like a therapist to you?" Chara deadpanned.

Asriel whined in response, exasperated. "Lemme finish: you know how you told me that human's have a saying about 'fighting your inner demons'? I thought we could do that, but _literally_!" The monster's face was beaming.

Chara blinked. Never before had they been so confused. "I… don't follow."

"We're going to help monsters in the Underground by having you fight them."

"You want me to hurt monsters?!" Nuh-uh! Absolutely not! Chara would never harm an innocent monster—

"Not actually _them_ , but a part of them? The dark part of them?"

"Are you asking? Because that sounded more like a question than an explanation."

"Argh!" Asriel threw up their arms in frustration.

"And why me?" Chara asked. "Wouldn't it be better to ask someone else? Use a different soul not affected by these resets?"

Asriel's expression grew somber and their voice quieted. "But if I didn't, your soul…" He mumbled the rest, far too quiet for Chara to hear.

Chara walked closer to their brother's ethereal form. "I didn't quite get that. What about my soul?"

Asriel never got the chance to reply as another voice cut in from underneath the archway leading to their location. "Hello? Is someone there? I thought I heard a voice."

They could only watch in stunned silence as a familiar form stepped out from the shadows. The human couldn't believe their eyes and ears. Could it really be…? Was it really…? Chara's voice cracked when they finally spoke. "M-mom?"


	4. Chapter 3

Sorry about this, but we're still not quite done with the set up. Starting next chapter, however, we can finally start getting into the meat of the story! (Maybe the chapters will start to be longer too...) Plus, more of Toriel's appearance will be explained then too, so be on the look out for that. =)

Happy late 2nd Anniversary, Undertale!

Until next time, thank you for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you think so far, and if you have any suggestions or criticisms, I'll be happy to hear those too!

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Chapter 3

No, that wasn't right. The creature that stood before Chara sounded and acted like their mom, but it most certainly wasn't the Toriel Dreemurr they knew and loved.

Chara took a cautious step back as the newcomer walked toward them. They quickly looked around for anything to defend themself with – aha! The human scrambled to pick up a nearby knife half hidden in a pile of dead leaves, and held it firmly within their grasp, ready to attack!

… Except for the fact that the "blade" was made out of a plastic of questionable quality. _A toy?!_

"Ah, child, please do not be alarmed. I will not hurt you." Having watched Chara panic at their sudden movement, the monster stopped and held up their hands in a show of good faith. "My name is Toriel and I have come here because I thought I heard some commotion near my house." Watching Chara lower the toy weapon a little, a small smile appeared on the monster's face and she relaxed. "You are no doubt confused about what is going on, but do not fret. I will explain everything you wish to know. When you are ready, please follow me. I will be waiting just outside." With that, she left back into the darkness beyond the archway.

Chara waited until they thought the monster was out of earshot before swerving back to their companion. All of their pent up questions tumbled out unceremoniously. "Who was that? Why did they look like mom? Why didn't they even acknowledge you? Where…"

"Chara," Asriel cleanly cut in and the heaviness in his voice made Chara pause. "That was mom." The monster prince wasn't looking at their sibling. Rather, their gaze was far away as he attempted to come to terms with what they just witnessed.

Chara frowned. "That wasn't mom. Sure, they looked a little similar, but…"

"That was mom," Asriel repeated firmly. "Remember what I just said about fighting monster's 'inner demons'? That…" Asriel tried to swallow and talk around the lump forming in his throat. "That was mom's."

The reality of the situation suddenly hit Chara like a ton of bricks and everything started to click into place like puzzle pieces: inner demons usually referred to the negative aspects that people perceive about themselves. They're still a part of the person, but a part that people try to keep hidden away from everyone else. People usually try to deal with them on their own, too ashamed or overwhelmed to ask others for help. However, this can make them weigh heavier on the person's mind, causing them to bury it deeper within themselves, thus causing a vicious and harmful cycle. And didn't Asriel say something like each flower reset affecting all the denizens of the Underground in a negative way?

Did it get so bad that these feelings _literally_ took on lives of their own?

"I want to help them, Chara." Asriel's voice was gentle and pleading. "But I can't help them in a normal way – we're both dead and nothing I can do will change that." Asriel finally met Chara's gaze. "Our souls though, they're still around, so I thought that maybe I could use mine to ease the burden of yours and other monster's souls. But," he frowned, "even after trying to help you, all I accomplished was trapping your soul in this weird limbo with mine. And it looks like other people can't even see or hear me, so in the end I only made things worse for everyone!" Did Asriel think that, seeing as how the flower is using his magic, that he was partially responsible for its actions? That was the only reason Chara could come up with for why Asriel was so adamant about this.

There was a long lull in the conversation before Chara finally spoke, sounding surprisingly nonchalant. "Maybe it's better this way."

"What?" That certainly wasn't what Asriel was expecting to hear.

"I said, maybe it's better this way." Chara raised a brow at their brother. "Can you really picture yourself using magic against _mom?_ "

"If it's to help her, then I… I…"

"See? You can't even finish the sentence." Chara shrugged. "You couldn't hurt a fly, let alone our own mother. Besides, I wouldn't want you to; between the two of us, I was always more of the fighter anyway. You stick to the strategies and just tell me where to swing." They smiled, brandishing their new knife to show off their abilities. Sure, it was a toy, but it didn't take much for a human to dust a monster…

"Um, Chara? You have that weird smile on your face again." The one that sent chills down the spine of anyone who saw it.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Chara was well aware that some of their actions left others… uneasy. After all, on the Surface that was one of the reasons that… well, best not to dwell on the past. Chara tried to rein in that part of themself around the Dreemurr family, but sometimes it slipped through in a brief manic smile or an inappropriately timed laugh. "Anyway, I'm here whether I like it or not, so I might as well make myself useful and help some monsters," they finished, putting the knife away.

Asriel's face lit up. "Really? You'll do it?"

"I owe Monsters for all the kindness they showed me after I fell, especially mom and dad for taking me in, treating me like family and giving me a home to call my own. It was because of you guys, that I felt like I finally had found somewhere I belonged, so yeah, if the Monsters need our help, you can definitely count me in." _And who knows, maybe mom not recognizing me will later work in our favor._

"Thank you, Chara! Thank you so much!"

Chara rolled their eyes as they watched their brother openly shed tears of happiness and relief. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the blubbering." Asriel just laughed in response while wiping their eyes with their sleeve, a big grin on their face. "Now come on, let's go see how we can help mom."

The two left the eroded balcony that overlooked Home and set off to meet up with Toriel. The children were determined to aid her overcome her inner demons.

After all, no one liked to watch their mother cry.


	5. Chapter 4

Been a while, huh? Had a lot of stuff going on in my life and I wasn't able to write at all. Even now, this chapter was fighting me that whole way through and I'm not really all that happy with it, but I wanted to get something out. It probably seems a bit rushed, but that's mostly because I figured that if you're reading this, then the you the backstory of the Undertale game and don't need to be given exposition on what you already know, so I jumped to the relevant stuff. That said, maybe I'll rewrite this chapter at a later date, but for now, please enjoy.

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Chapter 4

Chara hadn't seen Asriel since the group of three had entered the house- no, their old "Home." Everything was as the human remembered it, right down to the yellow flowers strewn here and there to give the residence a friendlier vibe, and a stark contrast to the gloomy scenery outside. The only thing out of place was the monster sitting their opposite at the dining table, all smiles despite the constant tears staining the fur of their cheeks.

"Are you all right, my child?"

Chara barely held back a flinch at Toriel's word choice. God, the monster even _sounded_ like their mom. "I'm, uh, fine," Chara clumsily dismissed, red eyes looking at everything but the woman. Too many emotions were churning inside the young human, so many questions begging to be blurt out, but Chara forced them all down, opting instead to fidget with their red heart locket dangling from a gold chain around their neck.

Toriel didn't look convinced by Chara's answer, but decided to move the conversation along anyway. "Are your bandages staying in place? Not too tight?" When they had first stepped indoors, the monster had applied some first aide to Chara's numerous scraps, healing them back to full Hit Points (HP).

"They're good." The answer was curt.

A couple of uncomfortable seconds passed between them before Toriel sighed. "I am sorry, young one. In my rush to bring you here, I have neglected to explain anything. You have Fallen into a foreign land and are now talking with a scary monster; it is no wonder that you are frightened."

That caught Chara's attention: it seems Toriel had mistaken their apprehension for fear. Whoops. Still, the human couldn't help but smile a bit at the goat's words because Toriel was probably the _least_ frightening person in existence – except when dad tried to sneak an extra piece of pie. The look of panic on Asgore's face whenever he got caught never failed to get a chuckle out of the Chara.

At the memory, Chara could feel some tension leave their body and they shifted into a more relaxed pose. As if in response, Toriel eased back into their chair looking much more relieved. Chara spoke, "Then would you mind answering some questions?" Time to gather some information.

The goat monster perked up at this and a smile graced her features. "Of course not! If you have any inquiries, I will certainly answer them to the best of my abilities. Is there anything in particular you wish to know?"

 _Why don't you recognize me? Where's dad? Why does this place look abandoned? Why are you crying?_ "Are there others here besides you?"

"Ah, that's right. You Fell a bit farther into the Ruins than the others." At Chara's confused look, Toriel went into more depth. "There have been seven other humans to Fall before you, my child. Usually, the children Fell all in the same spot, in the beginning of the Ruins, before all the traps. You, however, Fell right outside my house and therefore could not have possibly met any other monsters who live down here." Well, that wasn't quite right; they didn't Fall so much as "blip back into existence," but Chara wasn't about to needlessly complicate things. Plus, there were other, more important matters to worry about.

 _I was the first to Fall, but apparently there have been six others? How much time has passed since Asriel and I died?_ They asked their next question, "You keep calling this place 'the Ruins.' Why?"

Toriel's expression darkened for a beat before they replied. "Due to… reasons, most of the monsters have moved to a new capital, New Home, that's closer to the barrier keeping us Underground. This place, the old capital, has since been known as the Ruins and Old Home."

"…" Chara could there was more to the story that Toriel wasn't disclosing. They couldn't push it without drawing suspicion though, so they shelved that topic for now. "So, there are monsters in the rest of the Ruins, but you said there were seven other humans before me; where are they?" _Knowing mom, if they were around the Ruins, I definitely would have seen them by now. So if they aren't here, did they pass on from old age or…?_

It was Toriel's turn to look uncomfortable. Their smile turned sad, and they couldn't meet Chara's gaze anymore. "You certainly cut right to the chase, don't you, my child. You remind me of one of the previous children." The goat monster folded her hands while taking a shaky breath. "Of course. It is only natural that you would like to know where others of your kind are…"

Chara frowned. _She's stalling._ The human couldn't help but notice the tears streaming down Toriel's stained cheeks increase in volume, pouring onto her perpetually damp and worn-out tunic. As the seconds ticked by, droplets started to float upwards from Toriel's soaked feet, bobbing and drifting protectively between them and around the goat's form. The heavy atmosphere started to seep in from outside, causing the human to become acutely aware of both their surroundings and the feeling of impending danger.

In the heart locket, the human could feel their soul pulse in response to the mounting amounts of magic, as if a Fight was about to start. Could this have been what Asriel was talking about? A monster's "hurt" manifested into a living form? Did that mean this topic was somehow connected to the pain Toriel was feeling? In any case, Chara wasn't quite ready for a Fight, so they quickly scrambled to change the subject. "Um, I'm feeling a bit tired," they blurt out the first thing to come to mind. "This is a lot to take in, and it's starting to get to me. Can I rest a bit?" Well, it wasn't a _complete_ lie – this was all quite a bit for the young human to take in, and they wanted to prepare before doing anything drastic.

"W-what?" Clearly taken aback, Toriel sputtered at the topic change. "Oh! O-of course!" The monster's mood quickly shifted gears, donning a welcoming smile. "There is a spare bedroom down the hall that you can use. I was going to show you later, but if you are tired now, then I shall not keep you up. Sleep well, young one."

Chara nodded their thanks before heading down the hallway. _Now where did Asriel get off to…_


	6. Chapter 5

In you want to know more about Foiltale, visit the link on my profile.

Please enjoy and tell me what you think so far. :)

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Chapter 5

"Everything looks the same," Asriel said as Chara opened their old bedroom door. The goat didn't even turn to look at the human as they spoke, just continued to take in their surroundings.

Their room looked almost exactly as they remembered it except for the odd item here and there, and a suspicious pile of shoes in a wooden box at the foot of Chara's bed. Six pairs to be exact, each of various sizes, but all obviously meant for children. "…" The pieces were all starting to fall into place.

"How's mom? Still crying?" The young prince's voice was distant, something weighing on his heart.

Chara walked over to their side of the room and sat on the bed, their feet dangling off its side. "Yeah, it's super weird!" they snickered.

 _Whoops._ Asriel's sharp glare told them that this was another one of those times were laughter wasn't appropriate. At the stare, it quickly petered out, and before any feelings of guilt could form, Chara continued. "Yes, mom's crying, but I think in this reset that's almost like her default? There were points in our conversation were she seemed happy, but her tears kept flowing. I think it's just part of what her, uh, 'hurt' looks like. The missing-pupils-and-iris thing is kind of creepy though," they added idly.

For a while Asriel didn't respond. He just looked at the various pictures strewn about the room – even the macaroni art piece he and Chara had made together as a gift to their parents. After about twenty minutes, it was apparent to Chara that the monster wasn't going to bring up the next topic, the elephant in the room.

They kicked their feet languidly on the side of the bed, fidgeting with the toy knife in their hands. "Once I started to get too close to the cause of her pain, mom almost initiated a fight."

Asriel gasped, shocked green eyes meeting red. He stammered, "That can't be true! M-mom wouldn't—"

"You're right, _mom_ wouldn't," the human cut in. "But that thing was probably just trying to protect itself." Chara frowned thoughtfully as they mused. "There's a big possibility that they summoned their magic subconsciously. I might just end up fighting mom after all," they concluded darkly.

"What?!" Asriel's yell was closer to a goat's bleating than actual words. "I was hoping we could talk it out instead! No one has to get hurt!"

It was Chara's turn to glower, and Asriel flinched under the intense look. "I tried the talking option, Asriel. What do you think I was doing up until now: baking snail pies? No, I was acting the dumb Fallen kid and scoped out what has changed since we were alive, and as soon as I asked about the other humans that Fell, bam! Her _freaking tears_ are circling up around her defensively like her fire used to do for us when she was protecting us. I was literally one minute away from _dodging for my life from mom's magic!_ " A small pain shot through Chara's hand and only then did they realize they were grasping the toy's grip tight enough to turn their knuckles white. "… Tch." They forced themselves to relax both their grip and their thoughts. The human wasn't too keen on fighting their mom and it was bring all sorts of conflicting feelings to the surface.

Despite Chara's attempts to hide it, Asriel still noticed. "Sorry. This can't be easy for you either. I mean, you're the one that has to… um, do it." The goat, more open with his emotions, looked like he was caught between both wanting to give their sibling a comforting hug, or start sniffling.

Chara shook their head before getting up. "No, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm sorry." They went over and gave their brother a pretend hug; the two couldn't touch, but that didn't mean they couldn't act it out. A couple of peaceful seconds passed before being broken by Asriel's giggling.

"I bet this looks really silly!" He laughed. "I don't think our arms are matched up at all!"

"Oh really? Let me look!" Chara turned to the body-length mirror in the corner of their room and, "Huh?" That… wasn't their reflection. The person staring back at them… wasn't Chara. A cold shiver ran up Chara's spine as the other human's reflection moved out of sight, leaving an image of just the room behind them. Neither Asriel nor Chara were shown in the mirror. "A-Asriel, did you see that?" Chara turned their gaze to Asriel, only to see him looking elsewhere. Only at his name did the goat glance back.

"Huh? See what?" He paused, his smile dropping. "Hey, are you all right? You're looking a little pale." Their brother shot Chara a look of concern.

Though they could feel themselves nearly breaking into a cold sweat, they forced themselves to smile to cover it up. "Yeah, I'm good." They moved to a different part of the room, hoping to both get physically farther from the mirror and to steer Asriel's gaze away from it. They sat on Asriel's bed instead. "I was just, um, thinking I could tell you what I learned!" they finished with an overly bright grin. "Then we can figure out what to do!"

Asriel didn't look convinced, but decided to play along for now. Besides, they really did need to figure out how to help their mom. The young prince figured that the longer they stalled, the harder it would be to do… whatever it is they decided to do. He nodded and Chara recounted their earlier conversation with Toriel…

* * *

When the human finished, Asriel piped up. "So, if the other Fallen children aren't in the Ruins, where are they?"

Chara looked away. "If they aren't here, then I think it's pretty safe to assume that they either went further into the Underground or…" They trailed off.

Knowing exactly what Chara didn't say, Asriel's eyes widened again, this time in horror. _Are they recalling what that flower version of them did?_ Whatever the monster was thinking, Chara didn't like seeing their brother so scared. " _Or!_ Or like I just said, they're just further in the Underground with the other monsters." Even though they said it, Chara could tell neither of the siblings believed that to be true. _But did they die or old age, or were they_ _ **killed**_ _?_ And why did their mother look so guilty when the topic was broached? Maybe she—No, it couldn't have been Toriel that killed them. Chara quickly dismissed that train of thought because they knew for a _fact_ that their mom would sooner end her own life than take the life of a child. Unless…

Did the human children leave Toriel, which lead to them somehow dying?

Chara suddenly stood up, startling Asriel. "I know how to help mom. We need to go down to the basement."

"The basement? Why do we need to go there?"

"I thought this through, and if I'm correct, then the humans all left Home after meeting with mom. Then something happened and they all died, something mom couldn't prevent. I believe mom's blaming herself for their deaths, even if she didn't do it herself!"

Asriel frowned. "But that's not mom's fault! She can't blame herself for something she has no control over."

The human nodded, a resolute fire burning in their eyes. "And that's what we have to convince mom of. Let's go!"

The siblings quickly made their way out of the room and down the hall. Asriel was walking at a brisk pace just to keep up with the human. He finally spoke up after they reached the bottom of the stairs and asked the question lingering in both their minds. "But if you talk to her about it directly, won't it lead right into a battle? Maybe we should prepare a bit mo…"

He hadn't noticed Chara's steps halting right as they rounded the corner. Being incorporeal, the monster just walked right through him, but he too was stunned then finally saw what stopped the human in their tracks: Toriel stood at the closed doors, the Gate separating the Ruins from Snowdin Forest. The Delta Ruins were caved into the heavy stone, looking almost as faded as the worn out tunic that fluttered in front of it. Her back was turned, but there was no doubt she knew Chara was there.

"My child," she spoke, her voice more somber than either of them had ever heard. "Did you not say that you were going to rest?"

The knife in Chara's hand was shaking; they were _scared_. The monster before them gave off the air of someone who had been through this very instance many times before, but whose resolve had only grown stronger with each passing failure. Any slim chance of getting through this encounter without a fight vanished in a second, and the human knew the battle was going to be far from easy. Then again, Chara didn't expect anything less from the Queen of Monsters.

They were intimidated, yes, but still the human took a solid step forward. After all, this was to help their mom through her suffering. Chara was **determined**.

"The previous Fallen children, did they come through here? Did they _die_?" The way the human spoke it made it obvious that Chara already knew the answer.

It started. The puddles of water pooling at Toriel's feet suddenly grew to form a circle on the ground beneath her. Her tears fell off her cheeks, but before they could touch her collarbone, floated upward and drifted around the monster protectively, like a physical barrier. Just as it had happened earlier, Chara could feel their soul respond to the sudden influx of magic around them, except this time, it floated right out of the locket and hovered in front of their person. The Heart Locket regained its golden color and "Best Friends" engraving, now an item equipped for the upcoming battle. A large, white square appeared on the ground, trapping the two within the newly formed battle area.

Toriel finally turned toward Chara, their gaze unwavering. "Yes, they have died – _a fate I will not let befall you too!_ "

 ***Toriel blocks the way!**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **[Act] [Check]**

 **HP: 1/440**  
 **AT: 80**  
 **DF: ?**  
 ***Always knows best.**

Chara frowned, confused. _The battle just started, and she seems perfectly fine, so why is her HP so low? And why can't I read her defense? Even with her defense a mystery, no matter how you look at it, one strike and mom will be…_ But they had no more time to contemplate as Toriel started her turn.

The monster lifted a white paw-like hand, pointing her index finger at the human. The large globs of water that were previously floating around the goat's body stopped moving, instantly solidifying into large, pointed icicles. "My child, I shall teach you what your life would be like on that side. Perhaps then you will reconsider any foolish notion of leaving here." The icicles all took aim at Chara's body and Toriel spoke once more, her voice as cold and hard as the magic she commanded, "You had best dodge this if you want to live."

Even with the warning, nothing could have prepared Chara for the barrage of icicles that shot their way. They cried out as the first one cut deep into their right arm, deep enough to leave a large gash and start to bleed out. Still, Toriel did not let up; sharp after sharp piece nicked their body and soul and the human only had just enough mind to stumble out of the way of the last couple. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Chara, Toriel stopped. Her turn was finished.

With cruel indifference, Toriel watched the shaken child fall to their knees. "If you cannot handle even this, then you have no chance out there. Return upstairs."

"…" Chara cradled their left hand around the large slice in their other arm protectively, their right hand still somehow shakily holding onto the toy knife. All of the other scratches marring their body seemed like mere pinpricks in comparison as the adrenaline quickly kicked in. The human's breathing was heavy and their body had broken out into a sweat despite Toriel's magic chilling the room's temperature.

Slowly, the human got back onto their feet, her body still trembling at the trauma it just received. Still, Chara grit their teeth and started to steady their breathing. It was their turn again and they could now strategize a little after seeing what they were up against.

"A-are you okay, Chara?!" A stammering voice called from behind them. _Oh, right. Asriel is here._ Chara turned around to see the goat's concerned gaze taking in all the now-bleeding cuts they just endured. He looked frustrated that he couldn't do anything, even if he did rush over. Being incorporeal must suck in these kinds of situations.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was more like a wake-up call than anything." Asriel probably didn't know it, but just having a conversation with him helped calm the human's mind. Their panting had softened and their grip was now steadier. Chara smiled as they turned their attention back to Toriel, now feeling both focused and at ease. _Thanks, Azzy._

It was time for a come back.

Chara took a fighting stance, tightening their grip around the knife until they remembered Toriel's stats. _One HP._ After much deliberation, they were reluctant to even fight Toriel, but with how things stood now, striking even once would kill her! They refused; there had to be another way.

In their peripheral, Chara noticed the goat prince silently standing there, wringing his hands nervously while glancing between them. _Maybe Asriel's way?_ They were already in the fight, so it's not like talking about touchy topics could start up another one. Who knows, they might even get some answers.

Chara relaxed their stance.

 **[Act] [Talk]**

"Won't you at least tell me why I can't go past the Ruins?" They started. "If you want me to stay here, can't you at least tell me why? I understand that the children that Fell before me died somehow, but what's so dangerous on that side of the Gate that it's better that I don't leave?"

Toriel's stony face twitched, a flicker of hesitance crossing her eyes. Her out-stretched paw fell a little as she weighed her options. Finally, she replied with a sigh, "I suppose I owe you that much, my child. Perhaps if you knew the truth, you would understand and head back upstairs." Her hand finally fell and she looked away, trying to put her thoughts into words. After a minute or two, she spoke, her voice grave as she recounted her memories of a time long past:

"Many years ago, I used to have two children, a monster and a Fallen human child much like yourself. Those two were as close as siblings could get, and they did everything together. A couple years passed by and our days were filled with happiness – until…" The Queen of Monsters took a long, shuttered breath, trying to stay calm and grounded as she recalled the next part. "An… _incident_ happened, and both my children passed on. My husband and I weren't there when it happened, but we discovered one of the bodies, the human's, right at the barrier along with… with _monster dust_ ," she revealed with much effort. She turned her body around fully, her back facing Chara. "A moment if you would, young one," Toriel spoke softly, her words barely audible, even in the echoing chamber.

"Sure," the human replied uncomfortably. This was both awkward and painful; after all, Toriel's story was a story about _their own_ death. Plus, knowing the other side of the story, that their mother's hurt and guilt started with a decision they chose, made them feel ten times worse. Chara had only just gotten Asriel's forgiveness earlier that day, but they hadn't even thought about how their passing would affect everyone else around them.

Finally having composed herself, Toriel faced Chara once more. "I'm sorry. Please let me continue:

"The King of Monsters, in a fit of blind rage, declared war on the humans without a second thought. He gave a decree, that any human to Fall into the Underground would be hunted for their soul, killed in his quest to break the barrier and bring the fight to the surface. I watched as a kingdom filled with hope suddenly turned into a nation of anger. I couldn't bear to see any more and so I fled to the Ruins, closing the Gate behind me. I haven't been back there since."

Toriel looked Chara dead in the eyes. "Seven human souls are needed to break the barrier. You are the seventh child to Fall since the King made his declaration. You, more than any of the previous children, will surely be hounded by every monster you come across. So you see why I must keep you here at all costs – your life depends on it! If I can save at least one child, then…" Her stony expression came back as she trailed off, her resolve strengthening at the reminder of what was at stake.

Luckily, Chara was ready for the oncoming attack. The ice shards crisscrossed around the arena in various patterns, and the human was able to dodge most of them. The cold slowly seeped into their wounds, numbing their appendages. Chara wasn't quite sure if they should be thankful that they couldn't feel the various nicks strewn across their body, or concerned that it was getting harder to keep a grip on their knife through the numbness. They checked their HP: 7/20. Things weren't looking too good; they had to finish this quickly.

 **[Act] [Talk]**

"It's not your fault those children died!" They exclaimed, getting right to the point. "You have no control over what happens to humans once they pass this Gate so you want to keep us here, but don't you think they all left because they thought they wouldn't be happy being stuck down here? Surely they left because they wanted to get back to the surface for any number of reasons, like missing their family." A look of sorrow crossed Toriel's features at the word family, and Chara knew they were slowly getting through to her.

Chara sighed before they continued, the words weighing heavily in their own mind even as they were said aloud. "I mean it. In fact, I'm sure they were very grateful for your offer to stay here, and your warnings of the dangers beyond. But I don't think it was your decision to make, and you were right to let them through. Plus, you did all you could to prevent their deaths, so I'm sure they wouldn't hold it against you, just like I wouldn't." Chara smiled sincerely at their mother. "Please let me through."

There was a long, heavy silence that passed between them before Toriel lowered her arms, the icicles around her melting once more into large globs of floating water. "Alright, but only if you promise to do something first." Before Chara could even get the question out, Toriel moved until they were standing only a couple feet away from the human. "I need to know you have what it takes to defend yourself. This may be difficult, so I apologize for asking this of you, but it will finally put my mind at ease if I know you can handle yourself out there against other monsters – strike me where I stand."

"W-what?" Did Toriel just ask them to attack her? Chara turned their gaze to the side, trying to gauge Asriel's thoughts, but the Prince just stood there with a shocked expression on their face. They had been frozen like that since they heard the tale of what had happened after his death. The human understood his distress; they were sure they wouldn't be fairing much better, had they actually been given the chance to digest it all. The aftermath of their joint demise, their dad's decision, the human hunting… this was surely going to be a topic of discussion between them once they made it past the Gate.

But that wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment! "I can't just attack y—"

"I will not let you pass until you do," Toriel interrupted firmly, her tone leaving no room for discussion.

 _Dammit!_ Chara clenched their eyes shut as their mind raced. _But she only has 1HP left! If I land a hit, won't that finish her off?! What if the real her dies too?_ _But she won't let me pass if I don't!_

However, after hearing that story about their dad and the kingdom, they abruptly realized that this situation, all of it, was ultimately _their_ fault. This was suddenly much bigger than just them. This was about righting a wrong they committed to an entire realm of people that welcomed them with open arms. So they had to keep going, had to find out where their father was and confront him about the past. Chara didn't know what would happen when they got there, or even if it would make any difference at all, but they still had to try.

 _I'm so sorry._

 **[Fight] [Slash]**

 **+439 HP!**

 _Eh?_

Suddenly, the arena was gone and Toriel was hugging them. "I am so sorry, my child. That could not have been an easy thing to do." She was comforting Chara, stroking the top of their head like they used to back when they were alive. "But I am proud of you. I realize now that I cannot stop you, nor should I try. I do not believe I was wrong, but perhaps there is more than one 'correct' answer. The same way I do not know what your fate entails if you go beyond this Gate, I cannot possibly know that things will turn out the same as before. You have given me hope that maybe this time will be different." With one final squeeze, Toriel separated from the human and walked to the stone gateway, opening its heavy slabs with magic. "Be well, my child, and know that you can always call these Ruins your home." With that, the Queen of Monsters left back down the corridor and up the stairs, possibly unable to emotionally handle watching the latest in a long line of human children leaving her.

"…" Chara took one step, then another step, and another, one foot in front of the other before finally reaching the Gate. A lot of things ran through their mind and they were physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, but they were still here. Mom was still alive, and Asriel was next to them. Countless things needed to be said and done, but for right now, Chara was just happy for a moment of respite.

Chara and Asriel wordlessly passed through and the Gate magically closed behind them, sealing them off from the Ruins and any chance they had at peacefully staying by their mother's side. However, it was this same mother that put her hope and trust in them and allowed them to continue on.

Chara felt the cold, carved stone with their hand and gave the Ruins and its inhabitants a silent send-off before turning around toward the next leg of their journey.

This was their new beginning, their tale of redemption.

 **[Foiltale]**

* * *

And we are done with Toriel and the Ruins! I have to say, this whole area was a lot harder for me to write than I thought it would be; and we're still not even close to being done with the emotional stuff! Chara and Asriel have some things to talk about, which won't be easy for either of them. Plus, they should be getting answers on some oddities soon from a very beloved Undertale character, so be sure to stick around for that. ;) I might some day go back and edit these past few chapters so they turn out more to my liking, but that'll be farther down the road - maybe even after I finish the story itself.

Anyway, if you have any questions, go ahead and ask! And please leave a review? I love hearing readers' thoughts on what I write! :)


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It had been a while since the two departed from the Gate, but still, neither sibling had uttered a word, each lost in their own far-off thoughts. The snow beneath Chara's feet crunched as they walked, the only sound echoing through the dense Snowdin Forest. They'd used some freshly fallen snow to wipe away the blood and sweat for their previous battle, but that did nothing to heal their HP or mend their torn clothes. Were they even going the right way? The path through the trees seemed endlessly littered with puzzles and in every direction, all they could see was white.

Their brother didn't want to talk, the snow was freezing and they were pretty sure the both of them were lost. Chara didn't think their day could get any worse.

 _"Human. Don't you know how to greet a new friend?"_

Chara froze. What was this intimidating presence behind them? When did they get there? Surely they would have heard someone else's approaching footsteps in the snow?

 _"Turn around and shake my hand."_

Asriel had bolted behind a nearby tree from pure fright. They had probably forgotten they couldn't be seen or touched, but his actions left Chara all alone with this menacing newcomer. The human gulped, not wanting to turn around, but fearing what would happen if they didn't. Hadn't their mother _just_ finished telling that they'd be hunted down mercilessly for their soul? They had just started the first leg of their journey and they already had to fight for their life? With only seven HP, even!

Well, there was no changing their circumstances. It was time to face this next challenge head-on!

Chara quickly turned around and clasped the hand offered to the—

 **BZZZZZZT!**

They snatched their hand back at the weird tingling-shock feeling sent right into their palm. _What the!_ They glared over to the offending device but paused when they recognized the gadget. _Is that a—_

"heh, the old hand buzzer handshake trick. can't beat the classics. anyway, you're a human, right?"

"Hu-I- _what?_ " Chara stammered. They watched the creature put its hand back into its zip-up hoodie's pocket and their incredulousness soon gave way to anger. "Of course I'm a human!" they yelled. "Who are _you?_ And what was with the hand-buzzer?!" The monster in question was… a short skeleton? His bones were a charcoal gray color, his eye-sockets seemed to be backlit with dark blue light coming from deep within his skull, and black pupils indicated where he was looking. His clothes were casual: a bright orange hoodie that was open to expose his ribcage, light gray shorts and green, fuzzy slippers.

Wait, hold up. Was that a ball-and-chain attached to his left ankle?!

"i'm sans. sans the skeleton. and, uh, a word of advice? don't go screaming about humans down here. tends to stir up trouble. as for the buzzer," Sans shrugged, "i just thought it would be funny."

"Funny? You nearly scared the crap outta me! I thought you were going to attack… me…" Chara trailed off when they realized they were within grabbing reach of an unfamiliar monster. Suddenly alarmed, they jumped back to put some distance between them and got into a fighting pose just in case this skeleton initiated a fight.

"heh, you did look pretty… shocked. but relax, i'm not gonna fight or capture you. that's more of my brother papyrus' thing."

Chara narrowed their gaze, unconvinced. "Why not?"

"don't feel like it."

"I find that hard to believe. I know King Asgore sent out a declaration for any monster to obtain human souls from anyone who Falls down into the Underground, so I'm not falling for any tricks!"

There was an uncomfortable pause where Sans didn't speak or move. The stifling feeling from before swept over Chara's body and left them feeling very, very vulnerable …

But then it was gone. Poof, vanished as if it had never even existed. Sans moved a hand to scratch his boney head as he spoke, "seems you know everything, huh? a lot more than the usual child that comes through here, at least."

"… The usual child that comes through here?" What was this monster talking about? If Toriel was to be believed, then it had been a while since the last human made their way through the Underground. Was Sans lying? And to what end? "What are you talking about?"

Before the skeleton could answer, however, a voice rang out nearby. "SANS? WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING ON THE JOB AGAIN."

"that would be my bro," Sans informed casually.

"The human capturing one?!" Was that this monster's plan: to stall long enough for his brother to show up and attack together?!

"well, he hasn't captured one yet, but he's always wanted to. hey, there's an idea – could you stick around for a bit and let him capture you? it'd make him super happy."

" _What?_ " What was with this weird skeleton! "Of course not! He'll take my soul!"

"nah, papyrus'd never hurt a fly. and if he did, he'd apologize and offer them dinner as an apology. see, just watch." Chara followed San's pointing finger, turning to see an approaching figure that was far too close to hide from now. The human turned back around to snap at Sans for using underhanded stalling tactics, but the stout skeleton was nowhere to be found. _Where did he go?_

As Chara was looking around in confusion, Papyrus drew near, still yelling after his brother. "YOUR SENTRY STATION IS VERY BROTHER-LESS AND HUMAN-LESS, SO I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT YOU ARE BEING A LAZY-BONES—" The loud shouting was interrupted by a very long gasp. "IS THAT A HUMAN?!" Before Chara could even turn to face this boisterous newcomer, the human watched him flash right by and pick up a sizeable rock that looked disturbingly like a human's contour. "GREETINGS, HUMAN! I, PAPYRUS, HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME TO CAPTURE YOU!"

The stone obviously didn't respond.

"HMM, MUST BE THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE."

"Um, that's… just a rock…"

"NYEH?" Papyrus turned and finally noticed Chara. "OH! A HUMAN!" He placed the stone down where it previously was before running over and picking up the actual human being off the ground. "GREETINGS, HUMAN! I, PAPYRUS, HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME TO CAPTURE YOU!"

"sup, bro?" Sans appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"SANS! LOOK, I FINALLY CAPTURED A HUMAN!" Papyrus excitedly presented the human in his large, gloved hands.

"awesome, bro. i knew you could do it. you're the coolest."

"YES, I AM QUITE COLD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE SNOW. BUT BACK TO THE MATTER LITERALLY AT HAND: I MUST INFORM UNDYNE! THEN SHE WILL SURELY RECOGNIZE MY TALENTS AND MAKE ME A ROYAL GUARD AT LAST!"

"Um, if you aren't going to attack me, can you let me down?" Chara said, awkwardly dangling in the taller skeleton's grip.

"HM." Papyrus frowned pensively, apologetic. "I AM AFRAID I CANNOT, HUMAN. FOR YOU SEE, I CAN ONLY LET YOU DOWN ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SAFELY SECURED IN OUR HUMAN HOLDING CELL. FURTHERMORE IT APPEARS YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED! I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE HARMED ANY MORE ALONG THE WAY!"

"why don't you carry them to the holding cell, paps? they won't get hurt if you're there to protect them," Sans added.

"THAT IS A GREAT IDEA! AND WHILE WE WALK, YOU CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF, HUMAN!" Without consulting the human in question, Papyrus plopped the child onto his shoulders and started back down the path he came, apparently toward their 'human holding cell.' "LET US DEPART!" he proclaimed while gleefully marching in the snow, with Sans lazily trudging behind.

A little ways behind the three, the prince of monsters kept to the cover of the trees as he followed. Asriel could have sworn Sans looked back at him before moving on, but that couldn't have possibly been the case… right?


End file.
